My Mark III dodged a bullet...yet again

[Podicle]

A couple of weeks ago I picked up an Egnator Tweaker head for cheap, and since then my Mark III combo has had its head on the block. I truly can't get a bad sound out of the Tweaker, and it reminded me of simple times before I got the Mark a decade or so ago, when I plugged in to my Fender/Marshall/Vox, twiddled with the knobs a bit, and it sounded great. In contrast, the printed-out manual for the Mark is covered in hundreds of scrawled and dated settings from across the years. A year or so ago I finally felt I understood the controls on the Mark, and was consistently getting a sound I was happy with.

Anyway, after getting the Tweaker I realized that I hadn't been particularly happy with the sound I had been getting with the Mark for the last few months, and sent it off to the tech to have a faulty knob fixed and change some capacitors as per other pages on this forum (it was recently retubed with Winged Cs and Tung Sols). I got it back a few days ago, let rip at volume in a mate's studio, and it sounded awful: boxy, brittle and yet muddy at the same time. Pretty much unplayable.

I decided then I would sell the amp, and this morning started to clean it so I could photograph it and put it on EBay. As I was going over it, I glanced in the back and remembered that I had replaced the stock C90 with an old Mesa EVM12L a few months ago, and a lightbulb went on in my head. I put the old speaker back, tweaked the knobs for a few seconds and was getting an awesome tone again. The amp is so much more articulate and toneful with the C90 that there is no comparison. The EVM12L has sounded good before in cabs I have put it in, so I know there is nothing wrong with the speaker. I guess I was so used to reading that the EVM was the ultimate speaker for the Marks that I hadn't even considered it to be the problem. My bad.
Anyone else have this experience?

I still may sell this amp, as I have been through so many ups and downs with it over the last decade that I know I'll be disappointed again.

The amp is a 60w red stripe reverb no EQ. The mods seem to have made a great difference, although it's hard to compare with the speaker swap.

 

[SonicProvocateur]

You running an EQ in the loop?

Makes my non-EQ explode with life...night and day different. I'm using the MXR 6-band. Infinitely better than the BOSS unit; I tested about 5 different EQ's and the MXR wins, hands down.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I hated the EVM-12L in my red stripe. Bright, thin and brittle.

That said, I couldn't imagine using a non-EQ Mark III. I loved the tone of that amp, but it's kind of limited without the G-EQ since there's no way to make up for having to cut the bass using the bass knob.

 

[Podicle]

I do have an MXR 6 band in the loop, but usually only use it if I'm mucking around at low volume.
I'm going to build a Thiele cab for the EVM.

 

[SonicProvocateur]

I'll say this; with my 2x12 (120 watts) the tone seems very balanced and powerful with the master at about 2 and the lead master at about 2.5; it kills above that. Mondo power. A little bright, but the signature umph comes out. With the 4x12 it sounds little more boxy, but more bassy. Using them together with the 4 ohm taps seems to be the way to go. I wish I had a thiele to compare. Low volume is for the birds, let her rip, bro 8)

 

[thendrix]

Low volume is for the birds, let her rip, bro 8)

Agreed!!!

Sorry to highjack but I have an 87 Mark III head and 4x12 cabinet with the Mesa black shadows. I have read here that there are much better speakers out there then the black shadows. What would you guys recommend? The style I play is usually a bluesy rock or driving country thing.

A little background info. The head is a stock head, not sure of the stripe. It does have the onboard EQ. I don't have anything in the effects loop as all I use is a noise gate, Ernie Ball volume, Crybaby, and a Rat dist. I am fairly satisfies with the tone but sometimes it is a little thin.

 

[Nickstrtcstr]

When was the last time you re-tubed?

 

[boogiemon]

i find that the "pull-deep" function on the master goes a long way towards bringing back the low end. i use this at lower volumes but don't need it @ drum level.

I hated the EVM-12L in my red stripe. Bright, thin and brittle.

That said, I couldn't imagine using a non-EQ Mark III. I loved the tone of that amp, but it's kind of limited without the G-EQ since there's no way to make up for having to cut the bass using the bass knob.

 

[Fronzil]

I dig the EVM for my IV, much more than the V30s, but there is obviously some hype on these boards about that speaker, just as there is hype on other boards about different stuff.

 

[Podicle]

I retubed it only a few months ago and it has had very little use since then.

 

[grindgod]

dont get rid of it, youll regret that decision later on.